Really and truly, dedicated IRC software is the way to go. But if that isn't possible for you, this should work. Click on the logo at the bottom of the page (but not yet!) to get to Dueling Modems IRC chat server through the web gateway.

When you do, you'll see a screen like the one below. Click on the plug thing and you'll get that dialog box. All you have to do then is fill in the blanks (your name and what room you want to be in, probably #cyberstampers) and click okay.

See the plug?

Once you're in the room, you'll want to know what the other buttons are for. If you've come when other people are in the chat area, you can probably ask them (by typing your question in the long narrow space at the bottom and hitting enter) – tell them you're on the web page chat so they'll give you the right instructions. In case there is nobody there the first time you try this, look at the screen below.

From the top of the screen:

Click to get you a list of rooms with people in them.
Click to join a room
Click to leave a room.

At the bottom right of the screen:

During the chat normally you will have pressed in to type normally. Occasionally you may want to send someone a private message. To send someone a private message, click once on their name in the list of participants, then click the button, and whatever you type to them will be sent just to them only.

So go ahead. Click the logo below and check it out. There are people to talk to almost all the time, crafters gather for chat over breakfast and people drift in and out all day. They don't bite, and while they're not always paying attention to what's going on in the room, when they see you, they'll answer any chat question you might have. The main group hangs out in #cyberstampers, so if you want to test this out and want to see if you really can talk to a real person this way, fill in #cyberstampers as the room you want to join and try it. So click that logo now... tell 'em Janet sent you.